15 May Day 9
The Film Market is alive and well in Cannes
Business has been slow at the other film markets this year, but Cannes' International Film Market seems to be clinching deals left and right in the basement of the Palais des Festivals. With more than 4000 participants, will the expected 50% of this years transactions be concluded?. Austrian Michael Haneke presenting the violent film Funny Games claims that 80% of the films shown and negotiated are about violence, sex and crime. Yet another story about violence - a young gang leader (Vincent Cassel) set against a corrupt cop (Tcheky Karyo) was the talk of the market today. The young French director Jan Kounen's Dobermann sold the US distribution rights to Miramx, whose co-chair Harvey Weinstein made the decision in just minutes after the private screening of the film had begun.
Among those going up the steps today was Laure Sinclair, porno star. X-rated films also constitute a large number of the film transactions. The longest pornography film in the world - 3 hours - was bought up by Canal +. Live, an original adaptation from a traditional pornography film, is a kaleidoscope, sort of techno version signed by Kiki Picasso.
The Sweet Hereafter in competition today has been a favorite for the Golden Palm even before the onset of the festival. Canadian Atom Egoyan's film is about a small British Columbian town and how its residents deal with the loss of their children after a school bus accident. Egoyam won the International Critics' Prize in 1994 for Exotica.
The second film in competition, The Destiny by Egyptian Youssef Chahine, passed Arab censorship this time. His previous film The Migrant was banned. In an historical, philosophical and religious context, it takes a humanistic look at Islamism and the Koran.
This year's 14th annual edition of Trailers' Night awarded the best trailer to Crash by David Cronenberg. The jury was presided by Alain Parker who claims that there is an art to extracting the essence of a film into a couple of minutes, allowing the public to form their own idea about the film. The Grand Prize went to French film Ridicule, Trainspotting received the best Teaser award and Romeo & Juliette was the public's favorite.
Sean Penn arrived in Cannes today for She's So Lovely by Nick Cassavetes. Zany Robin Williams was up to his usual antics promoting What Dreams May Come in a press conference. Elsewhere, the American Foundation for AIDS Research benefit to be presented by Demi Moore was a sell-out event raising $350,000 in ticket sales alone. And let's not overlook Howard Stern's more than lifesize presence.
In Cannes to promote his film Private Parts (basically about himself), Stern's boat has been infiltrating the yachts in the harbour adorned with an enormous inflated doll of himself.
The eleven shorts in competition were screened today: Over the Rainbow by Alexandre Aja, Leonie by Lieven Debrauwer, Rubicon by Gil Alkabetz, Joe by Sasha Wolf, Final Cut by Justin Case, Les Vacances by Emanuelle Bercot, Is it the Design on the Wrapper? by Tessa Sheridan, Birdhouse by Richard Zimmerman, Camera Obscura by Stefano Arduino, Makom Tov by Ayelet Bargur and Quasi Niente by Ursala Ferrara.
The Line-up for 17 May
Official Selection:
Assassin(s) by Mathieu Kassovitz (France)
She's So Lovely by Nick Cassavetes (USA)
The Taste of Cherry by Abbas Kiarostami (Iran)
A Certain Regard:
Witman Fuik (The Witman Boys) by Janos Szasz (Hungary)
American Perfekt by Paul Chart (USA)
La Buena Estrella by Ricardo Franco (Spain)
